Hatch plug



Apri122,`1941. v E WEST 2,239,513

` VHATCH PLUG Filed Feb. 2, 1940 Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE HATCH PLUG Victor E. West, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application February 2, 1940, `Serial No. 316,911

13 Claims.

This invention relates to hatch plugs, particularly insulated hatch plugs for the hatchways of railway car roofs. The principal objects of the present invention are to devise a simple and inexpensive plug that. will be strong and durable, that will maintain its shape in service, that will have its insulating material adequately protected against excess moisture, dirt and other foreign matter and which will permit the parts that are subject to Wear to be quickly and easily replaced without removing the railway car from service. The invention consists in the hatch plug and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hatch plug embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a Vertical section onthe line 2--2 in Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sections on the lines 3 3 and 4--4, respectively, in Fig. 1,

' Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a modified form. of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective `View of a corner portion of the plug shown in Fig. 5.

The hatch plug illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, of the accompanying drawing comprises an inverted pyramidalmetal side frame I,

a metal bottom 2, Wooden upper filler strips 3 supported on said bottom inside of saidframe, suitable heat insulating material 4 in the chamber bounded by said filler strips and said bottom, Wooden lower filler strips 5 inside of said frame below said bottom, a compressible pad 6 surrounding said frame with its upper and lower margins secured to the inner faces of said upper and lower filler strips, respectively, and a metal top 1 whose marginal portion overlaps and is secured to the tops of said upper filler strips. The frame, bottom and filler strips together constitute the body of the plug. The metal side or edge frame has an inturned flange or flanges 8 at the bottom thereof; and the metal bottom 2 is spaced above said flanges and has its Amarginal portions bent up, as at 9, and permanently secured to said frame by an edge weld I0. The metal bottom has panels II pressed therein that extend from the lower iiller strip on one side of the side frame to Athe lower filler strip .on the opposite side .thereof and serve to .stiffen and lstrengthen said bottom.

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The lower filler strips '5 t snugly between the inturned bottom flange 8 of the side frame I and the bottom 2 thereof, said strips overhanging the free marginal edge of said bottom flange. The upper Ifiller strips 3 extend from the bottom 2 of the plug to the top of the side frame 1I thereof and are removably secured to the inner side faces of said frame by means ,of bolts I2. rlhese bolts extend through openings provided therefor in the filler strips 3 and the frame I. The bol-ts I2 have their heads seated in counter.- sinks in the inner faces of said strips and are provided with nuts I3 which, when tightened, serve to clamp said strips to the side frame.

'I'he wooden filler strips 3 and 5 serve as nailing strips for the padding 6. This padding cornprises a strip or strips I4 of waterproof canvas whose lower longitudinal marginal portion is secured, preferably by brads or small barbed galvanized roofing -nails I5 to the inner face of the lcwermost filler strips 5. Curled hair or other suitable packing material I6 is lled in 'between the canvas strip I4 and the outer face of the side frame I and the canvas strip is then drawn upwardly around said `frame and over the top thereof and over the tops of the upper filler strips 3 and is then drawn downwardly alongside of the inner vertical faces of said strips and secured thereto by nails 15a. Y

The metal top or cover plate `I for the plug has a plain margin that overlaps the tops of the upper filler strips 3 and is removably secured thereto preferably by wood screws I1, which extend downwardly through said margin of said plate and the inturned upper marginal portion of the can-vas strip I4 and are screwed into said filler strips, thereby clamping said marginal portion of the pad between said plate and said filler strips. The top plate has stiffening and strengtheningrpanels lI3 pressed therein similar to the panels II in the bottom member 2 of the plug.

The hatch plug construction-hereinbefore described has several important advantages. It is considerably lighter than the wooden plugs commonly used. Its sideframeand bottom member are permanently assembled, andthe removable cover plate `permits inspection, repair or replacement of the insulation `and the upper nailing strips to which. the cover plate is secured, while the lower nailing strips are removable without removing said cover plate. The padding, which is especially subject to wear and injury, is easily replaceable merely `by removing the cover plate and `the brads which secure .the margins of the canvas strip to the respective nailing strips. The insulating material is kept dry and uncontaminated, and the wooden nailing strips serve to stiffen and strengthen the metal side frame and make it practicable to use lighter gage metal than would otherwise be feasible. Warping of the wooden filler or nailing strips does not affect the metal frame, as these strips are so located as not to contact 'with the wall of the hatchway opening ciosed by the plug.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the metal edge or side frame la has an inturned top flange l5, and the top plate la, is made small enough to pass through the opening defined by said flange and seat directly on a horizontal ledge 2t formed below the level of said flange by the upper filler strip 3a. A third filler or nailing strip 3b is interposed between the top flange i8 of the side frame and the filler strip 3a with its inner face flush with the free marginal edge of said top flange; and the canvas covering Mia of the padding @a has its upper` marginal portion bent over said top flange and thencedownwardly across the edge thereof and secured by brads Ebb or other suitable fasteners to the inner face of the nailing strip 3b. If desired, the nailing strip 3b may be made integral with the filler strip 3o. In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, metal stretching or clamping strips 2l are located on each side of the plug between the top and bottom thereof and extend in a peripheral direction from a point near one corner of the plug to a pointnear an adjacent corner thereof. The metal strips 2i are of channel-shaped cross section with their flanges facing inwardly and with openings in their webs adapted to receive the securing bolts i2 for the filler strip 3a. The nuts 13a. of these bolts bear against the outer faces of the web portions of the channel-shapedf strips 2l, whereby the tightening of said nuts causes the channels to be drawn inwardly against the padding and thus divide the same into a double seal; that is, an upper portion and a lower portion separated by a groove which constitutes,Y

an air space. Thus, the pad will make contact with the wall of the hatchway opening along two small areas instead of a single large area of contact, as in the case of Fig. 3. These metal clamps also tend to relieve the tension in the canvas resulting from the sliding friction between the padding and the wall of the hatch opening when the plug is inserted in and removed from said opening.

What I claim is:

l. A hatch plug comprising a metal side frame with inturned flanges at the bottom thereof and lower filler strips on said flanges, a metal bottom operatively secured to said frame and whose margins are above said ller strips, lining strips mounted inside of said side frame above said flanges, said frame, bottom and strips constituting the body of said plug, a pad covering the outer face of said frame with its longitudinal margins located within the outside limits of said frame, means for securing said margins of said pad on the body of said plug, a top for said plug, and means for securing said top to said plug.

2. A hatch plug comprising an inverted pyramidal metal side frame with inturned nanges at the bottom thereof and lower filler strips on said flanges, a metal bottom operatively secured to said frame and whose margins are above said filler strips and rigid with said frame, lining strips mounted inside of said side frame above said anges, said frame, bottom and strips constituting the body of said plug, .a pad covering the outer face of said frame with its longitudinal margins located within the outside limits of said frame, means for securing said margins of said pad on the body of said plug, insulating material inside of said frame, a top for said plug, and detachable means accessible from outside said frame for securing said top to said lining strips.

3. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with inturned flanges at the bottom thereof, a metal bottom operatively secured to said frame and whose margins are spaced above said inturned flanges and rpermanently secured to said frame, lower nailing strips between said inturned flanges and said bottom, upper nailing strips mounted inside of said frame above said anges, said metal frame, bottom and filler strips constituting the body of said plug, a pad covering the outer face of said frame, means securing the upper and lower margins of said pad to the respective upper and lower nailing strips, a top for said plug, and means for securing said top to the body of said plug.

4. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with inturned flanges at the bottom thereof, a metal bottom whoseY margins are spaced above said inturned flanges and permanently secured to said frame, lower nailing strips between said inturned flanges and said bottom, upper nailing strips mounted inside of said frame above said flanges, a pad covering the outer face of said frame with its upper and lower margins secured to the respective upper and lower nailing strips, insulating material inside of said frame, a metal top for said plug, and detachable means accessible from outside said frame for securing said top to said upper nailing strips.

5. A hatch plug comprising an edge frame with inturned flanges at the bottom thereof and lower nailing strips on said flanges, a bottom whose margins are secured to said frame above said nailing strips, upper nailing strips inside of said edge frame, a pad covering the outer face of said frame with its upper margin turned over the upper ends of said frame and said upper nailing strips and secured to the inner faces of the latter and with its lower margin turned under the inturned bottom flanges of said frame and said lower nailing strips and secured to the inner faces of the latter, insulating material inside of said frame, and a top for said plug that seats on the inturned upper margin of said pad and is removably secured to said upper nailing strips.

6. A hatch plug .comprising a metal edge frame with inturned anges at the bottom thereof and lower nailing strips on said flanges, a metal bottom whose margins are secured to said frame above said nailing strips, upper nailing strips insideof said side frame and secured to the inner face thereof and extending from said bottom to the upper edge of said frame, a sealing pad covering the outer face of said frame with its upper margin turned over the upper ends of said frame and said upper `nailing strips and secured to the inner faces of the latter and with its lower margin turned under the inturned bottom franges of said frame and said lower nailing strips and secured to the inner faces of the latter, insulating material inside of said frame, and a metal top for said plug having a plane margin that seats on the inturned upper margin of said pad and is removably secured `to said upper nailing strips by fasteners. extending downwardly through said top and said upper nailing strip and the margin of the pad disposed therebetween.

7. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal side frame with inturned flanges at the top and bottom thereof, a metal bottom whose margins are spaced above said bottom iianges and secured to said frame, nailing strips inside of said frame between the bottom flanges thereof and said bottom, upper nailing strips mounted inside of said side frame between the upper flanges thereof and said bottom and extending inwardly of said upper anges, a cover plate for said plug small enough to pass through the opening deiined by the inturned top anges of said side frame, said cover plate being secured to the tops of said upper nailing strips, and a sealing pad extending around said frame with its lower margin turned under said bottom iianges and said lower nailing strips and secured to the inner faces of the latter and with its upper margin turned over said upper flanges and secured to said upper nailing strips.

8. A hatch plug comprising a body and a cornpressible sealing pad extending around the sides of said body with its upper and lower margins secured thereto, and means bearing against the outer face of said pad between its upper and lower margins to thereby divide said pad into an upper portion and a lower portion separated o by a groove and clamping devices operatively connected to said body and said bearing means for pressing the latter against said pad and holding the pad under tension on both sides of said groove.

9. A hatch plug comprising a many cornered body and a compressible sealing pad extending around the sides of said body with its upper and lower margins secured thereto, and means bearing against the outer face of said pad between its upper and lower margins to thereby divide said pad into an upper portion and a lower portion separated by a groove, said means comprising strips extending from a point near one corner of said plug to a point near an adjacent J -corner thereof and clamping devices operatively connected to said body and said strips for pressing the latter against said pad and holding the pad under tension on both sides of said groove.

10. A hatch plug comprising a composite metal and wood body with sides converging in corners and a compressible sealing pad extending around the sides of said body with its upper and lower margins operatively secured thereon, and means bearing against the outer face of said pad for compressing the same between its upper and lower margins to thereby divide said pad into an upper portion and a lower portion separated by a groove, said means comprising metal clamp ing strips extending from a point near one corner of said plug to a point near an adjacent corner thereof, bolts extending outwardly from the sides of said body through said pad an d said strips, and nuts on the outer ends of said bolts for clamping said strips against said pad.

11. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal side frame with inturned flanges at the bottom thereof and lower nailing strips on said flanges, a metal bottom operatively secured to said frame and whose margins are above said nailing strips, upper nailing strips mounted inside of said side frame above said flanges, said frame, bottom and nailing strips constituting the body of the plug, a compressible sealing pad extending around said frame and with its lower and upper margins secured to the inner faces of said lower and upper nailing strips respectively, insulating material inside of said frame, a metal top for said plug, and means bearing against the outer face of said pad for compressing the same between its upper and lower margins to thereby divide said pad into upper and lower portions separated by a groove, said means lying in said groove and wholly inside the outer limits of said pad and being operatively connected to the body of the plug for clamping action.

12. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal side frame with inturned ilanges at the bottom thereof and lower nailing strips on said anges, a metal bottom operatively secured to said frame and whose margins are above said nailing strips, upper nailing strips mounted inside of said side frame above said anges, said frame, bottom and nailing strips constituting the body of the plug, a compressible sealing pad extending around said frame and with its lower and upper margins secured to the inner faces of said lower and upper nailing strips respectively, insulating material inside of said frame, a metal top for said plug, and peripherally extending strips bearing against the outer face of said pad between its upper and lower margins, and clamping means for pressing said strips against said pad and thereby dividing said pad into upper and lower portions separated by a groove, said strips lying in said groove and wholly inside the outer limits of said pad and said clamping means being operatively mounted on the body of the plug for clamping action.

13. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal side frame with inturned iianges at the bottom thereof and lower nailing strips on said lianges, a metal bottom operatively secured to said frame and whose margins are above said nailing strips, upper nailing strips mounted inside of said side frame above said flanges, a compressible sealing pad extending around said frame and with its lower and upper margins secured to the inner faces of said lower and upper nailing strips respectively, insulating material inside, of said frame, a metal top for said plug, and means bearing against the outer face of said pad for compressing the same Abetween its upper and lower margins to thereby divide said pad into upper and lower portions separated by a groove, said means comprising strips extending in a peripheral direction from a point near one corner oi' said plug to a point near an adjacent corner thereof, bolts extending outwardly from the sides of said frame through said pad and said strips, and nuts on the outer ends of said bolts for clamping said strips against said pad.

VICTOR E. WEST. 

